Cazenove Street Party 2007

Event Review

Despite a prior week of rain and inclement weather forecasts, the sun showed up for The Cazenove Street Party.

Cars had been banished from the party zone for the day, while part of Kyverdale Road was laid with turf (reputedly fresh from the Glastonbury Festival).

Neighbours from all corners of the ward picnicked on the grass to the sounds of the jazz band, while nearby Oldhill Street hosted craft stalls to the sound of a live Klezmer band. Windus Walk hosted art workshops and the sound of local choirs. With such a variety of entertainment spread over the various streets, it felt almost like Glastonbury itself. Perhaps the turf was for real.

Participation events were a major objective, so Lampard Grove was the venue for football skills training. There was a hugely successful basketball coaching session nearby, further up Kyverdale Road. The streets were liberally littered with skipping ropes, “heelies” (shoe skates), retro space hoppers, pogo sticks and other items intended to persuade local children to rediscover outdoor play. Wandering supervisors provided instruction, taught juggling skills, and demonstrated diablo. Rumour has it there were some England schoolboy chess players taking on all comers …

It was very pleasing to see such large spaces that were created by the temporary road closures. As the street games were packed away, and lawn removed to make way for the tarmac beneath, many were left with an insight into how the community could be transformed by turning large, normally inaccessible, road-traffic space over to people space. Bolstered by the success of this entirely locally organised event, organisers are already talking about next year’s event.

Programme for Cazenove Street Party: Sunday 1 July 2007, 2-6 pm

2-3 pm Freylech Klezmer Band Oldhill at Lampard Grove

2-4 Football Lampard Grove

3-3:45 Georgian singers Windus east of Kyverdale

3:45–4:30 Jubilee Community Singers Windus east of Kyverdale

3:30–4:30 Aikido demonstrations Oldhill at Lampard Grove

4-6 Cricket Lampard Grove

4:30–6 Hackney Young Jazz Filey at Kyverdale

Continuous activities between 2 and 6

Art workshops tent & trail Windus (Alkham-Kyverdale)

Basketball Kyverdale (Lampard-Lynmouth)

Chalk pavement quilt Windus (Kyverdale-Oldhill)

Diabolo & juggling (Filey at Oldhill)

Dr Bike Filey (Oldhill-Osbaldeston)

Face painting/henna, Asian food Oldhill (Lampard-Lynmouth)

Go-carts (Oldhill at Windus)

Skates, Pogo stick, frisbees Kyverdale (Windus-Lampard)

Skipping ropes, beach ball, bubbles Oldhill (Windus-Lampard)

Strawberries, cream & cakes on the lawn (Kyverdale at Filey)

Stalls : Kyverdale and Filey

 TimeLine local history

Plant exchange

Growing Communities

Tree Musketeers

Bash the rat

Face painting

Icecream

Asian food